15th string quartet (Beethoven)

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Beethoven portrait by Johann Decker from 1824.

Ludwig van Beethoven's String Quartet No. 15 in A minor op.132 was composed in 1825.

Emergence

It is one of the three string quartets commissioned by the Russian Prince Nikolai Borissowitsch Golitsyn and was made after Quartet No. 12 op. 127 (completed in January 1825) and before Quartet No. 13 op. 130 (completed in January 1826) in July Completed in 1825. All three quartets are dedicated to the client.

There were delays during the creation of copies, which were intended on the one hand for Prince Golitsyn and on the other hand for the world premiere in Vienna by the Schuppanzigh Quartet , which is close to Beethoven .

Beethoven's copyist Wenzel Rampl was supposed to copy the copy intended for the first performance himself, from which Rampl was then to create a copy for the Russian prince. But this task cost Rampl an unusual effort because he was not familiar with Beethoven's hard-to-read musical notation, so Beethoven's personal friend Karl Holz , who played second violin in the Schuppanzigh Quartet, finished the work. As Beethoven confirmed to Karl Holz in a letter on August 15, 1825, the copies he made contained only a few errors.

Further delays were caused by Beethoven's outbursts of anger, which led to Wenzel Rampl's refusal to continue copying. Another reason why Prince Golyzin received the quartet late were delays in the mail between Vienna and Saint Petersburg.

Sentence names

  1. Assai sostenuto - Allegro (A minor)
  2. Allegro ma non tanto (A major)
  3. Holy song of thanksgiving by a recovered person to the deity in the Lydian key . Molto adagio - feeling new strength. Andante - Molto adagio - Andante - Molto adagio. With the deepest feeling.
  4. Alla Marcia, assai vivace - Più Allegro (A major)
  5. Allegro appassionato - Presto (A minor)

To the music

The quartet is one of Beethoven's “late quartets”, but despite its avant-garde and emotional sound for the time, it is based on a 5-movement divertimento in which a central, calm part is flanked by dance movements.

The three quartets composed for Prince Golitsyn show a parallel to the “ Rasumowsky Quartets ”. In both cases the middle quartet is in a minor key, while the other two are in major.

The key of A minor used in op. 132 was rarely used by composers such as Joseph Haydn , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Beethoven himself. Before Beethoven had only used this key in his Violin Sonata No. 4 op. 23 (1800), in his “ Kreutzer Sonata ” (1802/03) and in “ Für Elise ” (1810); the “Kreutzer Sonata” even shows some parallels to the A minor quartet in its composition plan.

Beethoven transposed an Alla danza tedesca movement in A major originally intended for this quartet to G major and used it as the fourth movement of his String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major op. 130 .

First sentence

The first movement contrasts with the E-flat major quartet that was created immediately before , in that it consists on the one hand of discontinuity and contrasts and on the other hand is even more progressive with the implementation of the sonata movement than the E-flat major quartet.

Like the first movements of the String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major, Op. 130 (and thus also the “ Great Fugue ”) and the String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131 , the movement is based on the four-tone group G sharp-afe. In contrast to the C sharp minor quartet, the two seconds of the four-tone group are connected to the sixth by a small second. Emil Platen comments on the use of the four-tone group: “From this, however, I want to deduce that it is a matter of a context of meaning between the three quartets, a unit of higher order, a 'gigantic cycle', which should then actually be performed in uninterrupted sequence. I consider wrong. " . Lewis Lockwood pointed out that this theme, which is closely related to the sequence of notes “ BACH ”, is similar to that of Fugue No. 4 in c sharp minor from the first volume of Johann Sebastian Bach's “ Well-Tempered Clavier ”. It is worth mentioning in this context that Beethoven had long before written down sketches for a long-planned Bach overture (with the BACH motif as the basis), which however did not materialize.

The movement begins with a slow introduction. While the first bars are carried by the cello , the first violin, with virtuoso up and pacing sixteenth notes, takes the lead in the allegro that follows shortly thereafter . This contrast is further intensified by alternating calm and fast passages in the course of the movement, until the 1st violin finally joins the final chord in A minor with staccato strikes from the other three strings.

Second sentence

The view that the second movement was a "Scherzo" had established itself early on among the interpreters. This mistake goes back to a review after the first public performance.

The second movement stands, in stark contrast to the A minor of the first movement, in its variant key A major. The resulting change of mood is reinforced by the changed interplay of the strings. Distinguished, in unison played three figures follow changing decorations through all four instruments. The focus is no longer on the “battle” between the instruments, but rather the interaction. In the trio, the strongly protruding first violin is accompanied by dance-like motifs until the reintroduced opening motif concludes the movement.

Third sentence

The third movement was provided by Beethoven with the addition “Holy thanksgiving song of a convalescent to the deity, in the Lydian key” , which indirectly refers to the fact that he himself suffered from a serious illness at the time of the composition and that his work in 1825 even for several weeks had to interrupt. After his illness had cured, Beethoven composed a canon for his doctor, Prof. Braunhofer: “Doctor locks the gate to death, note also helps out of need” (WoO 189). The gratitude for his recovery, which Beethoven had jokingly expressed in the canon, now found its way seriously into the A minor quartet.

The chorale-like sequences that determine the movement (the impression of which is reinforced by the use of the Lydian church key ) are repeatedly interrupted by energetic passages, which Beethoven himself marked “Feeling New Power” . At the end, the opening theme is repeated, but this time, as Beethoven noted, “with the most intimate feeling” , and the music ends in pianissimo .

The decision to use a somewhat unusual key in this movement was due to Beethoven's interest in the work of the Italian composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina at the time, which was supported by Raphael Georg Kiesewetter's historic house concerts in Vienna. A general renewed interest in the “Palaestrina style” had already been established by Wilhelm Heinrich Wackenroder (from 1797) and ETA Hoffmann (from 1814).

It has been suggested that Beethoven used a melody by Palestrina in the movement; However, sketches show this to be an invention of Beethoven. As early as 1818 Beethoven had planned a symphony as "pious song in a symphony in the old keys", but not implemented it. Nephew Karl was not only able to inform Beethoven that “many passages were accompanied by exclamations, and when they left the people spoke of the beauty of the new quartet. Schuppanzigh therefore wants to give it back over 14 days ” , but also that “ people admired how much you have done with the few notes that were allowed to you in the Lydian key ” .

Fourth sentence

The fourth movement, a staccato march, seems to lend the work a cheerful character again, but breaks off after a short time to lead on to the fifth movement (at the end the second violin plays its first two notes of the fifth movement in advance) .

Originally the components of the movement, “Alla Marcia” and “Piú Allegro”, were two separate movements, but Beethoven then merged them into one movement, probably to focus on the third movement.

Fifth sentence

Bars 1–6 of the 5th movement

The fifth movement, again in A minor, brings back the emotional tension of the third movement. Cello, viola and the 2nd violin complement each other to form a driving, recurring accompanying motif, over which the 2nd violin plays a plaintive, almost song-like melody (a theme that Beethoven originally intended for the last movement of his 9th symphony ). Towards the end of the movement the tempo ( Presto ) increases and the lament motif of the 2nd violin is reversed by transposition to A major. This new theme, which now foreshadows a happy end to the string quartet, becomes quieter again a short time later and finally seems to almost fade away. Beethoven lets the listener believe that the movement has ended and even inserts a final phrase. However, this is abruptly interrupted by the resuming “A major theme” and only reappears after it has been carried out, in order to actually end the movement this time.

effect

First of all, on September 9 and 11, 1825, in the presence of Beethoven, the quartet had two rehearsal performances in the “Zum Wilden Mann” inn for the publisher Maurice Schlesinger and some close friends, about which Karl Holz reported: “My lord played better today than ever. Passages like the recitative cannot be played like that . He has what no one else can learn; he didn't learn anything else for that ” .

The quartet was publicly premiered on November 6, 1825 by the Schuppanzigh Quartet in Vienna. Nephew Karl told his uncle about this premiere: "The quartet received a lot of applause, it went very well together and Linke played better than ever" .

The " Allgemeine Musikische Zeitung " wrote:

“What our musical Jean Paul has given here is once again great, wonderful, unusual, surprising and original, but not only has to be heard often, but actually studied. Evidently the previous trio, which enchanted all those present with its naive naturalness, with its charming color, the lovely melodies of the piquant spice, impaired the lively receptivity to what followed. The predominant gloomy character of the whole, a uniformity in the very long Adagio, which cannot be eliminated in the most varied elaboration, which with its strange H in the F Scala placed tangible fetters on the composer as he progressed, but also the unbearable heat in the low, crowded halls, together with a few incidental circumstances, may be the reason why this youngest spirit child of the inexhaustibly fertile master did not create the general sensation which several chosen ones who had attended earlier performances in closed family circles previously announced. "

- Allgemeine musical newspaper 1825, col. 841

The quartet was only printed by the Schlesinger Verlag after Beethoven's death.

According to statistics from the cardiologist and amateur quartetist Ivan Mahaim , the String Quartet op. 132 was performed 274 times in the first 50 years after its creation.

literature

supporting documents

further reading

  • Theodor Helm: Beethoven's string quartets. Attempt of a technical analysis of these works in connection with their intellectual content , Leipzig 1885, ³1921.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven: works. New edition of all works , section VI, volume 5, string quartets III (op. 127–135), ed. from the Beethoven Archive Bonn (J. Schmidt-Görg et al.), Munich Duisburg 1961ff.
  • Lev Ginsburg: Ludwig van Beethoven and Nikolai Galitzin , in: Beethoven-Jahrbuch 1959/60 , ed. by Paul Mies and Joseph Schmidt-Gorg, Bonn 1962
  • Ivan Mahaim: Naissance et Renaissance des Derniers Quartuors , 2 volumes, Paris 1964
  • Joseph Kerman: The Beethoven Quartets , New York 1967
  • Ekkehard Kreft: Beethoven's late quartets. Substance and substance processing , Bonn 1969
  • Arno Forchert : Rhythmic problems in Beethoven's late string quartets , in: Report on the international musicological congress in Bonn , 1970, Kassel et al., 1971, pp. 394–396
  • Rudolf Stephan : On Beethoven's last quartets , in: Die Musikforschung , 23rd year 1970, pp. 245–256
  • Emil Platen : A notation problem in Beethoven's late string quartets , in: Beethoven-Jahrbuch 1971/72 , ed. by Paul Mies and Joseph Schmidt-Görg, Bonn 1975, pp. 147–156
  • Emil Platen: About Bach, Kuhlau and the thematic-motivic unity of Beethoven's last quartets , in: Contributions to Beethoven's chamber music. Symposion Bonn 1984. Publications of the Beethoven-Haus Bonn. New series, 4th series, volume 10, ed. by Sieghard Brandenburg and Helmut Loos. Munich 1987, pp. 152-164
  • Ulrich Siegele: Beethoven. Formal strategies of the late quartets. Music Concepts , ed. by Heinz-Klaus Metzger and Rainer Riehn, issue 67/68, Munich 1990
  • Nicole Schwindt-Gross: Between counterpoint and divertimento. On the second movement from Beethoven's string quartet op. 132 , in: Studies on the history of music. A Festschrift for Ludwig Finscher , ed. by Annegrit Laubenthal, Kassel / Basel et al. 1995, pp. 446–455
  • Manfred Hermann Schmid : String Quartet in A minor op.132 , in: Beethoven. Interpretations of his works , ed. by A. Riethmüller et al., 2 volumes, Laaber, ²1996, volume 2, pp. 326-337
  • Ludwig van Beethoven, text / libretti: “String Quartets”, ed. by Brilliant Classics, 2008, pp. 10, 11

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Matthias Moosdorf: Ludwig van Beethoven. The string quartets. Bear rider; 1., ed. June 26, 2007, p. 21f.
  2. ^ Jan Caeyers: Beethoven - The lonely revolutionary , CH Beck-Verlag, 2013, ISBN 978-3-406-65625-5 , p. 729
  3. ↑ a b Gerd Indorf: Beethoven's string quartets: Cultural-historical aspects and work interpretation Rombach; 2nd edition May 31, 2007, p. 384
  4. ^ A b Matthias Moosdorf: Ludwig van Beethoven. The string quartets. Bear rider; 1., ed. June 26, 2007, p. 96
  5. ↑ Lewis Lockwood : Beethoven: His Music - His Life , Metzler 2009, p. 353f.
  6. ^ William Drabkin: The Introduction to Beethoven's "Kreutzer" Sonata. A historial Perspective , in: The Beethoven Violin Sonatas. History, Criticism, Performance , ed. by Lewis Lockwood and Mark Kroll, Urbana, Volume III, 2004, pp. 83-109
  7. ↑ Gerd Indorf: Beethoven's string quartets: Cultural-historical aspects and work interpretation Rombach; 2nd edition May 31, 2007, p. 451
  8. ↑ Gerd Indorf: Beethoven's string quartets: Cultural-historical aspects and work interpretation Rombach; 2nd edition May 31, 2007, pp. 453f.
  9. ^ Matthias Moosdorf: Ludwig van Beethoven. The string quartets. Bear rider; 1., ed. June 26, 2007, p. 113
  10. ^ Hans Mersmann : Die Kammermusik , Volume 2: Beethoven , Leipzig 1930, p. 165
  11. ^ Emil Platen : About Bach Kuhlau and the thematic-motivic unity of Beethoven's last quartets , in: Contributions to Beethoven's chamber music , Symposion Bonn 1984 (publications of the Beethoven-Haus Bonn, new series, 4th series, volume 10, edited by Sieghard Brandenburg and Helmut Loos), Munich 1987, (pp. 152-164), p. 163
  12. ↑ Lewis Lockwood: Beethoven: His Music - His Life , Metzler 2009, p. 371
  13. ↑ Gerd Indorf: Beethoven's string quartets: Cultural-historical aspects and work interpretation Rombach; 2nd edition May 31, 2007, p. 385
  14. ^ Emil Platen : About Bach, Kuhlau and the thematic-motivic unity of Beethoven's last quartets , in: Contributions to Beethoven's Chamber Music , Symposium Bonn 1984. Publications of the Beethoven-Haus Bonn. New series, 4th series, volume 10, ed. by Sieghard Brandenburg and Helmut Loos. Munich 1987 (pp. 152-164), pp. 152ff.
  15. ↑ Stefan Kunze (ed.): Ludwig van Beethoven. The works in the mirror of its time. Collected concert reports and reviews up to 1830 , Laaber 1987, p. 591
  16. ↑ a b Gerd Indorf: Beethoven's string quartets: Cultural-historical aspects and work interpretation Rombach; 2nd edition May 31, 2007, p. 391
  17. ↑ Ludwig van Beethoven: Correspondence , Complete Edition, ed. by Sieghard Brandenburg, 7 volumes, Munich 1996–1998, volume 6, p. 62
  18. ↑ Music in the past and present. General encyclopedia of music. Kassel / Basel 1949ff. 17 volumes. Kassel / Stuttgart 1949ff., Volume 7, Col. 896ff.
  19. ↑ Lewis Lockwood: Beethoven: His Music - His Life , Metzler 2009, p. 357
  20. ↑ Alexander Wheelock Thayer : Ludwig van Beethoven's life. , Edited from the original manuscripts in German by Hermann Deiters, revision of the new edition brought about by H. von Deiters (1901) by Hugo Riemann, 5 volumes, Leipzig 1907-1919, volume 4, p. 129
  21. ↑ Ludwig van Beethoven, Konversationshefte , ed. by Karl-Heinz Köhler, Grita Herre, Dagmar Beck, et al., 11 volumes, Leipzig 1968–2001, volume 8, p. 182
  22. ^ Matthias Moosdorf: Ludwig van Beethoven. The string quartets. Bear rider; 1., ed. June 26, 2007, p. 99
  23. ↑ Alexander Wheelock Thayer: Ludwig van Beethoven's life. , Edited from the original manuscripts in German by Hermann Deiters, revision of the new edition by H. von Deiters (1901) by Hugo Riemann, 5 volumes, Leipzig 1907-1919, volume 5, pp. 22 and 269
  24. ↑ Ludwig van Beethoven, Konversationshefte , ed. by Karl-Heinz Köhler, Grita Herre, Dagmar Beck, et al., 11 volumes, Leipzig 1968–2001, volume 8, p. 139
  25. ↑ Ludwig van Beethoven, Konversationshefte , ed. by Karl-Heinz Köhler, Grita Herre, Dagmar Beck, et al., 11 volumes, Leipzig 1968-2001, volume 7, p. 182
  26. ↑ Ivan Mahaim: Naissance et Renaissance des Derniers Quartuors , Vol. I., Paris 1964, p. 206